Water receptacles, such as bathtubs, generally include a drain port located at their lowermost point. The drain port is interconnected to a drain pipe and receives a strainer that prevents items from entering the drain pipe. A “strainer,” as appreciated by one of skill in the art is the threaded fitting located in the bottom of a sink, bathtub, or the like (hereinafter “bathtub”) through which wastewater flows. Commonly, strainers have an externally threaded cylindrical portion that engages corresponding threads of the drain port and/or the drain pipe. The strainer also includes a flange, which extends from the upper end of the cylindrical portion, that engages the bottom of the bathtub. The flange sometimes rests in an indentation provided in the bottom of the bathtub. Strainers usually include closure valves that selectively control the flow of water therethrough. The closure valve is often interconnected to the strainer by way of a carrier that extends upwardly from a hub located within the cylindrical portion. The distance between the flange and the hub varies depending on the type of closure valve employed.
Strainer flanges may become outdated, damaged, or marred. In addition, individuals may simply wish to change the look and feel of their bathroom by changing the plumbing fixtures. For example, one may wish to replace brushed-nickel fixtures to brass fixtures. Replacement, however, is often very difficult because the strainer must be disconnected from the drain pipe, which is difficult to access because it is often located beneath the floor to which the bathtub is interconnected. Further, the threads of the replacement strainer may not be compatible with the threads of the drain port and/or drain pipe.
Wastewater strainers are presently concealed by devices that are glued to or otherwise interconnected to the wastewater strainer. That is, instead of replacing the wastewater strainer, a concealing member of the intended finish is placed on the flange of the existing strainer. For example, attention is directed to Applicant's Nufit™ device, which is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,745,931, that employs a flange that is glued onto the strainer flange. The Nufit™ flange includes a downwardly-extending outer lip that engages the outer edge of the wastewater strainer flange that, alone or in concert with other features, helps maintain radial position of the Nufit™ device with respect to the strainer. The Nufit™ device also employs a cylindrical portion that is placed within the cylindrical member of the wastewater strainer.
Another device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,503,083 (the “'083 patent”) that is similar to that of the Nufit™ device wherein a flange is provided with a cylindrical portion extending therefrom. The cylindrical portion also includes at least one groove for receiving an o-ring seal that engages the cylindrical member of the wastewater strainer to maintain the position of the concealing device. The o-ring seal helps align the opening of the strainer and the concealing device. It should be noted that the device of the '083 patent contemplates a system wherein no adhesives are used. The outer edge of the '083 device may also include a downwardly extending outer lip for engaging the outer edge of the waste water flange similar to that described above.
One drawback of the prior art devices is that the downwardly-extending cylindrical portion that is often employed may interfere with internal components of the strainer, which prevent engagement of the strainer flange and the concealing device flange. More specifically, strainers usually possess spokes or cross members that accommodate the hub that holds the closure valve carrier. Further, there are a multitude of strainer manufacturers, each with different designs, sizes, features, etc. In addition, manufacturers may, over time, modify designs such that retrofitting existing systems may prove problematic. The interference between the concealing device and the strainer frustrates consumers and forces them to either alter the cylindrical portion of the concealing device, i.e. trim it, or to purchase a new one. As trivial as this may at first appear, the practical consequences of such difficulties has serious financial implications. For example, a $500 per night hotel room may remain vacant simply due to the inability to conceal a damaged bathtub fixture. The foreseeable cost caused by the failure to have a straightforward “one size fits all” solution is enormous and orders of magnitude above the cost of the product itself.
Thus, it has been a long felt but unsolved need to provide a device for concealing a wastewater strainer in lieu of replacing it that is easy to install and can accommodate various models of wastewater strainers.